


Raven's Sacrifice

by BraveNewSoul



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teen Titans (Animated Series) Setting, Angst, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, Self-Sacrifice, bbrae - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 12:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11852016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BraveNewSoul/pseuds/BraveNewSoul
Summary: The fire demon is back, and this time it'll take more than a little Thunder and Lightning to stop it.





	Raven's Sacrifice

The fire demon was back, and it returned even stronger.

It came in the night, while Jump City was dark and its citizens were sleeping. Even the Titans, who often spent the quiet hours causing havoc in their Tower together, were unconscious in their beds. 

The demon crept up slowly, like a cat sizing up a mouse, until the heat radiating from its body began to melt the steel frame of the building. It thirsted for the spilled blood of the Titans, and could barely contain itself as its mind pictured their inevitable demise. It wouldn't be long now.

Inside the Tower, a Titan stirred. 

Beast Boy sat up in his bed, an uncomfortable feeling spreading through his gut. He looked around. Listened. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Still, he couldn't put his mind to rest.

His body shrunk to mere inches and took the shape of a rat, and he skittered out of his room to investigate. No one was awake, and all of his friends were safely in their rooms. He decided to check the perimeter.

But as soon as he slipped outside, his rodent nose detected a heat so strong, he could feel it burn his whiskers off. Then he saw the demon, and let out a horrific screech. The fire monster, having heard him, jerked its mighty head in Beast Boy’s direction. He froze only a moment before he darted inside and shifted back.

“It's back!” He screamed, running to the Titans’ rooms and pounding hard on the doors. “The fire demon - it's back! Guys, hurry!”

Robin was the first to emerge from his room, fully dressed in his suit and running for the door. Cyborg and Starfire came next, the dark skinned man almost barreling him over as they hurried after their leader. But Beast Boy stayed put in front of the final closed door. He wasn't going out there without Raven.

She appeared moments later, her cloak covering her face but doing nothing to hide the anger that emanated off her body. Of course she'd be furious - this was another one of Trigon’s monsters. Her own father was still trying to kill her.

“Rae-” He tried to say, but she flew past him without sparing him so much as a glance. 

Outside, the scene was rapidly becoming chaotic. Robin wasted no time in letting the demon know they were there, and was futile in his attempts to get the monster away from their burning home. Starfire attacked from above, but all her beams seemed to do was agitate the demon further. The top left side of their Tower was gone. If they survived, Cyborg and Beast Boy were going to be without their game room for a while.

Speaking of, the green changeling had finally emerged from the Tower, coughing slightly from the smoke that was beginning to fill the space. He shifted into a gorilla, letting out a growl as he hurled a nearby boulder at the enemy. It went through the demon’s stomach, unnoticed, and emerged from the other side blackened. Beast Boy thought he could hear the demon laugh at him.

“None of this is working!” Cyborg shouted, barely dodging a swipe of the monster’s fiery hand. “We can't hold it off much longer, Robin.”

“You think I don't know that?” Their leader shot back. “Where are the Storm Twins?”

“They cannot stop it. Not this time.”

Beast Boy’s stomach dropped at the defeat in Raven’s voice. He turned in her direction only to see her perched in a tree, eyes lit with her power, but her hands unmoving.

“Raven?” 

“Look at it - it has clearly become stronger, more defiant to what ailed it before. See how its leg brushes the water so often? It does not hurt it, but absorbs and uses it as energy. There is nothing we can do...except give it what it wants.”

Unable to stay quiet any longer, the changeling shifted back into himself. His eyes were alight with the fire and his own determination. “No! Raven, you can't let it kill you! That isn't going to do anything!”

“Gar, you know just as well as I do that I am the reason this monster has returned. If I let it take me, my father has won. He will quiet down long enough for you guys to destroy him.”

No one spoke. The Titans knew she was right, as much as it broke their hearts to admit. This was the only way.

But Beast Boy was not letting the love of his life go so easily. 

She jumped down from her spot in the tree to stand before him, her power leaving her hands and eyes. There was ash on her skin and pain in her expression. Garfield’s eyes filled with tears, and she allowed her own to do the same. 

“I'm not letting you go, Rae. You can't give your life for this - for him! Prophecy or not, your life isn't over yet, and it won't be for a long time. Please. You lived too long to throw it away now.” He was pleading and he hated how childlike he sounded, but if Raven left, she would take his heart and happiness with her. 

“Listen to me,” She insisted, putting her hands on his shoulders and moving him out of the demon’s line of sight. Overhead, Starfire still sent angry blows at the monster’s head. Beast Boy wasn't the only one about to lose someone he loved. “This is the only way to keep you safe and the only way the Titans get another chance to defeat my father. It would be selfish to let you fight for me any longer.”

Raven allowed her composure to crumble, and the tears fell down her cheeks so quickly that Garfield couldn't wipe them all away. He gave up and wrapped his arms around her, his sobs muffled into her shoulder.

“I love you, Beast Boy. I have always, and I will always.”

“Please don't do this.” He croaked as she pulled away. Their hands met and tangled together feverishly. “Don't do this…”

She averted her eyes from his, no doubt wanting to save him as much pain as possible. They were vaguely aware of the other Titans coming to join them. Each one had the same look of reluctant devastation on their face. 

“You have all been my family for years,” Raven said softly, clutching Beast Boy’s hand even tighter. “I cannot express how grateful I am to have had you.”

“You made our team whole.” Robin said, his voice wavering only slightly. “The Titans will never be the same without you.”

A broken sob escaped Beast Boy’s throat at the same time Starfire broke down, and Raven pulled her lover to her chest as they sank to their knees beside the alien girl. 

“Raven, my sister,” She choked, “You are the strongest of souls. My best friend… How will I ever find a friend like you?”

The Azarathian girl did not respond, but reached out and took Starfire’s hand. Cyborg stared down at them, unspeaking, and nodded to her. He knew there was no other way, and loved her like a sister enough to accept her choice like a grain of salt.

“It’s time.” Raven said painfully, and got to her feet. Beast Boy stood with her as he clung to her arm. “Gar, you have to let me go.”

For a moment, he didn't move. Then he very slowly released his grip on her and took an unsteady step back. 

“I'll never let you go.” He whispered, and leaned up to kiss her once. The Titans were silent as they allowed their teammates this final moment together, watching with broken hearts.

When the moment ended, Raven’s anger returned. Her eyes glowed and so did her hands, and she stepped away from the people she called her family. The monster turned the second it sensed her and let out a growl that shook the ground. The Titans huddled together by the tree, their arms around one another. 

“Trigon, take me. I come to you in surrender. I won't fight you any longer.” 

The demon tilted its head as if it were confused, but then a sick smile spread across its face and it raised its hand….

“No!” Beast Boy screamed, and darted forward only to be stopped by Cyborg. “Raven, please!”

She spun to face him, and their eyes met just as the demon’s hand came in contact with her body. The girl vanished in a cloud of ash without so much as a scream, and the demon laughed loudly as it got what it wanted. It took its leave seconds later, disappearing in a flash of light. The only evidence left behind was the burning Tower and Raven’s absence, perhaps felt most strongly by the changeling.

“She's gone.” He said, dumbly.

“Come on,” Robin said, and stepped toward the Tower. “We need to stop the fire. Cyborg, call for help.”

The remaining Titans jumped into action, and only Beast Boy stayed behind there by the tree. He sank down into the grass and stared at the Tower that would never hold five Titans again, and wasn't sure he could go back inside knowing that she wasn't there anymore.

“Raven,” He whispered, to no one but her, wherever she was. “I love you. I'll never forget you.”

The air around him turned briefly cold and then soothingly warm, as if there was a spirit folding herself around him.

He didn't need to question it.


End file.
